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New platform for licensing of plant breeding traits

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No doubt sparking renewed debate over intellectual property rights and plants, the International Licensing Platform (ILP) was launched on Friday. Members of the new association say it aims to improve global access to and use of plant breeding traits for vegetables.

 

According to Greenhouse Canada, the participating companies include Agrisemen, Bayer, Bejo, Enza, Holland-Select, Limagrain Vegetable Seeds, Limgroup, Pop Vriend, Rijk Zwaan, Syngenta and Takii. A report by VILT, the Flemish information center for agriculture and horticulture, said the ILP will hold 60% of the world market of vegetable seeds in its hands.

 

A press release published by Netherlands-based hybrid seed specialist Nunhems, a subsidiary of Bayer CropScience, said 11 companies from Switzerland, Germany, Japan, France and the Netherlands, worked together to establish the ILP “with an aim to provide plant breeders around the world with faster, more efficient and cost effective, guaranteed access to crucial plant breeding traits that are currently covered by patent claims by ILP member companies.

 

“The ILP provides a straightforward, easy way for vegetable breeders to license the traits they need at a fair and reasonable cost so they can bring new products to the market that meet demands from growers and consumers. The members of the ILP will make all of their patents related to vegetable breeding traits accessible to their fellow members under the conditions of the ILP,” it said.

 

Monsanto said it applauded the initiative but is not a member. “We believe both the ILP and our new licensing program enable a technology exchange that will foster agricultural collaboration and innovation thereby increasing the variety and quality of vegetable seed products available to growers,” said Marlin Edwards, chief technology officer at Seminis, a vegetable seeds subsidiary of the company.

 

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Peru’s blueberry exports up 230%

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Peru exported 1,226 tons of blueberries in the first nine months of this year – more than double its shipments for the same period in 2013.

According to Peruvian government agency Sierra Exportadora, the country’s blueberry exports from January–September were worth nearly US$ 12 million (FOB price)– up from just over $4 million for the same months last year.

With its busiest blueberry export months being September, October and November, it anticipates a year end total of $40 million. Peru’s blueberry exports totalled 1,349 tons last year, with a value of just over $15 million. It ships to countries including the US, UK, Holland and Hong Kong.

Referring to it as the “fruit of the century”, the agency said Peru aspires to becoming a major world blueberry supplier. Earlier this year the agency launched a project to establish raspberry production in the Cajamarca region, tipped by some to soon become Peru’s berry capital.

 

source: Sierra Exportadora

 

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Spanish hopeful of Chinese market entry deals soon on stone fruit, grapes

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Spain is optimistic its fresh plum, peaches and nectarines will soon be imported by China.

And it is also happy with progress on a protocol which would see the Asian giant also open its doors to fresh Spanish table grapes. Spanish Secretary of State for Trade Jaime García-Legaz said recently he hoped to have positive news by the end of the year.

Final report due on Spanish plums, peaches, nectarines

A spokesman from the Spanish Ministry of Economy told EFD the Chinese phytosanitary requirements for plums, peaches and nectarines have now been “practically cemented” by AQSIQ (China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine).

 

In August, Chinese inspectors visited areas of plum, peach and nectarine production in Spain to verify the controls in place and their resulting assessment was regarded as “positive”, he said. After this visit, the Chinese phytosanitary requirements had been largely specified, “and it’s hoped that soon, perhaps before the end of this year, they will issue their final report and with that proceed to open the Chinese market for these products,” he said.

AQSIQ visits expected soon for Spanish table grapes

On grapes, he said Spain is waiting for China to complete its pest risk analysis, as part of which the phytosanitary requirements for this product will be determined. A visit by Chinese inspectors to Spanish production areas will follow.

 

No date has yet been set for these visits, but García-Legaz said he is optimistic about having “good news” in coming weeks about the scheduling of the visits and anticipates they will take place as early as possible in 2015.

 

In 2013, China imported table grapes worth US $514 million. Spain already has a citrus protocol with China – signed in 2005 after six years of negotiation – and believes its early stone fruit season will give it an edge there.

 

Learn more about the Chinese market in our recent report “How fruit fared in China in 2013”

 

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Infographic Highlights Benefits of Berries

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Which berry can help reduce cholesterol and which one is rich in folic acid? What are the seasons for the different berries and what are their calorie counts?

The answers to these questions and many other interesting details about berries are in a new shareable infographic from Huelva Inteligente.

Based in Huelva, the origin of 95% of Spain’s berry exports, the digital marketing experts have provided an easy-to-digest summary of the kind of information shared recently at the Fresh&Life berry symposium in Madrid.

 

 

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North Americans to Eat More Fruit and Vegetables

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Fresh produce consumption to rise in Pacific Rim

Canadians will be eating 5.7% more fruit and vegetables and Americans 4.9% more by 2025, according to the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS).

And per capita fruit and vegetable consumption will similarly rise in Vietnam, by 5.3%, Chile 4.8%, Malaysia 4.5%, Japan 4.4%, Australia 3.8%, New Zealand 3.3%, Peru 3.3%, Mexico 2.5% and Singapore 1.5%, it predicts.

 

The figures are in the ERS’s baseline scenario for percent changes in per capita consumption quantities for 2014-2025 and appear in its recent report “Agriculture in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)”.

Fruit and vegetable consumption increases as incomes do

The report says the figures reflect that income growth is associated with higher intakes of fresh fruits and vegetables in low, middle and high income countries. “This is due to factors including improvements in the quality and diversity of fresh produce and the effects of higher income on the demand for fresh fruits and vegetables.”

 

The report assesses the potential impacts of the proposed TPP trade and investment agreement under negotiation by 12 countries in the Pacific Rim, including the US. Population growth will be the main engine driving the 10.4% real growth in the region’s demand for food over 2014-25 under the baseline scenario, it says.

Increased trade in fruit and vegetables

The ERS expects the value of intra-TPP agricultural trade to rise 16.8% by 2025, compared to a 9.3% gain across all commodities.

 

 

Read the report:

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err-economic-research-report/err176.aspx

 
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Fresh Food Russia Forum November 13-14 in Moscow

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About 300 delegates from 50 federal and regional retail chains are attending the Fresh Food Russia Forum being held November 13-14 at Moscow’s Kosrton Hotel.
 

Dedicated to fresh grocery and in-store produce, the event also includes opportunities to join a special negotiations session with commercial directors, purchasing directors and buyers from retail chains from Kaliningrad to Khabarovsk.
 

According to the Fresh Food Russia Forum organisers, the recent US and EU food import ban by Russia means the country’s retail chains are in search of new suppliers. “They are looking for reliable international partners.”
 

“Russia was the leading retail market by turnover in Europe in 2013. Two thirds of Russian customers are willing to pay more for fresh grocery, according to recent surveys by consulting firms,” they said.

 

More information and registration:

Kseniya Kamenskaya, +7 (495) 785-22-06, 781-11-34

Official forum web site:

http://www.b2bcg.ru/events/fresh-food-russia-2014

 
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Royal and Ideal Fruits Sign Blueberry Distribution Deal

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Strategy to increase sales to Spanish supermarkets

 

Seville-based soft fruit grower and marketer SAT Royal now holds exclusive Spanish distribution rights to Ideal Fruits’ blueberry production.

A berry specialist located in the Spanish province of Segovia, Ideal Fruits SL and Royal reached the agreement last month during the Fruit Attraction fair in Madrid.

In a statement, Royal said the partnership was based on the companies’ mutual commitment to increasing their supplies to Spanish supermarkets and to excellence in their products and customer service.

Ideal Fruits manager David Muñoz and Royal president José Gandía said consistent quality and good taste are the only ways to satisfy consumers – criteria met in Royal’s exclusive blueberry varieties Blue Aroma and Royal Blue and its other new varieties in development.

 

 

 

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The TPP and Fresh Produce Imports in Japan

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What the Trans-Pacific Partnership could mean for fruit and vegetable exporters

Oranges are one of the possible opportunities for imports in Japan, a country where the population is steadily shrinking and consumption of agricultural products likely to decline, says the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

That’s because oranges are sensitive to price drops – lower prices bring higher consumption – and thus among the opportunities for growth that could be filled by imports, the USDA’s Economic Research Service said in its new report “Japan’s Agri-Food Sector and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)“.

It’s hoped a TPP agreement will see the reduction or even elimination of Japanese import tariffs, which could significantly lower the prices of imported products including oranges.



Demand strong in Japan for organic and local food

Organic food is another area where demand for agricultural products is increasing in Japan – against a backdrop of otherwise “sluggish growth in the volume of consumption” – because consumers worry about “food safety, quality, healthfulness, and production methods.”

There is significant concern about metabolic syndrome (including about excessive weight), another reason “foods and beverages perceived as heart-healthy – including fruits, vegetables, seafood, wine, and tea – are likely to be more popular as a result.”

Meanwhile, the “recent popularity of local food does not appear to be waning.” the USDA said, which is a growing opportunity for Japanese farmers.



Japanese farmers focus on ‘taste and appearance’

Among other insights into the Japanese market:

– vegetable production has been one of the strongest segments of Japan’s agriculture,

– Japanese farmers focus on taste and appearance and one of their strengths is the ability to differentiate from imports based on quality and providing very fresh products,

– Japan’s web of protection for agriculture includes tariff quotas and protection against price declines for Japanese vegetable and fruit growers,

– as well as open-field production, Japan grows vegetables in plastic-covered hoop houses and glass houses,

– Japan is self-sufficient in most temperate fruits,

– China poses a challenge to Japan in products including fresh and processed vegetables, and fruit, which generally arrive at a lower price than Japanese farmers can match.

 

Access the USDA report here.

To learn more about the Japanese fruit and vegetable market read our report here.

 

Photo by Evan-Amos via Wikimedia Commons

 
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Baby food pushes up organic sweet potato sales in US

Sandi Kronick, CEO of Eastern Carolina Organics, (left) with Triple J Produce Sales manager Kristi Hocutt

Young mothers and pregnant women helped give birth to the growing market for organic sweet potato in the United States, says Sandi Kronick, CEO of Eastern Carolina Organics (ECO).

While she jokes that “kale pays the bills”, Kronick said sweet potatoes are the next most important item for ECO in terms of both value and volume, followed closely by blueberries.

Based in Durham, North Carolina, the farmer- and employee-owned firm markets and distributes wholesale Carolina organic farm produce to retailers, restaurants and buying clubs along the US east coast, even reaching Canada in the north and as far south as Florida. Now ten-years-old, it expects turnover of US$4 million this year, up from $3.8 million last year – all from sales within North America and about a fifth from sweet potatoes.

Baby food has long provided major demand for sweet potato and Kronick said demand for the organic version has delivered greater demand for organic sweet potato. “A lot of organic sweet potato acres go to baby food,” she said. Even so, she said less than 5 percent of total sweet potato production in the US is currently organic.

Kronick said ECO is also seeing a lot of growth – with increases in value but not necessarily volumes – in greenhouse tomatoes, in particular, and in greenhouse cucumbers and lettuce.

Exports to the UK, France and the Netherlands

One of the about 100 farms that ECO works with is Triple J Produce, located in Sims, North Carolina, which predominantly grows sweet potatoes and has about 1,000 acres of conventional cultivation for this crop and 100 acres of organic.

Sales manager Kristi Hocutt said that despite the higher costs, such as due to non-chemical weed control, the company has been increasing its organic production “because customers have been asking for it.”

Triple J supplies stores including Whole Foods in the US and exports sweet potatoes to European countries including the UK, France and the Netherlands, mainly in 6kg and 18kg boxes.

Its own sweet potato production this year will be 800,000 bushels, along with an additional 400,000 from partner growers, of which 65,000 bushels will be organic. Its 2013 crop was 500,000 bushels, of which 38,000 were organic.

 

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COUNTRY PROFILE: Japan

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Bananas, citrus and pineapples lead Japan’s fruit imports

Japan has always been very dependent on imports, especially for food and even more so for fresh produce. The total value of its fresh produce imports in 2012 was $2.5 billion, which included about 1.86 million tons of fruit and 862,082 tons of vegetables.

 

The leading imported fruits in Japan are bananas (59%), citrus (20%) and pineapples (9%). Most of the bananas are from the Philippines. Among citrus varieties, the leading import is the grapefruit, though Japanese people are increasingly preferring oranges. In 2013, 67% of imported citrus in Japan came from the US, 30% from Australia and 2.4% from South Africa, for a total volume of 30,745 tons.

 

The fastest growth in fresh produce imports in Japan is in avocados, which rose by 25% in 2012. Because it favours domestic produce, Japan imports only small amounts of products that it grows itself – such as stone fruit, apples and cherries.

 

Fruit imports in Japan, 2012 (tons)

Bananas 1,096,538, Pineapples 174,041, Grapefruit 151,413, Oranges 130,422, Kiwifruit 63,970, Avocados 58,555, Lemons & limes 55,895

 

 

Vegetables imports in Japan, 2012 (tons)

Onions 342,710, Pumpkin & squash  125,024, Cabbage 84,110, Carrots 82,051, Leeks 56,400

 

Exports

Due to its small land mass and high population density, Japan lacks an agricultural sector strong enough to export significant volumes. But of the fresh produce it does export, fruit is the leading type, especially apples, mandarins and pears. In 2012, it exported about 14,015 tons of fruit and just 956 tons of vegetables.
 

Japanese retailers undergoing concentration

Japan’s retail sector has been quite stable in the past few years, even if regional retailers, such as Universe and Hokkaido’s ARCS, have tended to merge to compete with national players such as AEON and Ito-Yokado, which both represent 40% of total Japanese retail. The top 5 national companies – AEON, Ito-Yokado, Uny, Daiei and Life Corp. – together woo 62% of food sales.

Nationwide retailers, including AEON and Ito-Yokado, generally source their foods through importers and wholesalers.

 

Consumption in Japan – elders are big spenders

 

Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs figures show nearly a quarter of household spending in Japan is on food. Japanese people value local products and in particular high quality and premium produce. The recent ecological disasters there have also increased awareness of environmental issues and safe production standards.

Japanese consumers can be split into two main groups: young active people and elders. In the last few years, a big range of healthy and ready-to-eat fresh produce has been developed to cater for each of these segments.

AEON is particularly targeting elders by opening its stores two hours earlier and with special deals attracting more of them onsite.
 

This is an abbreviated version of an article that appeared on page 26 of our latest issue, available online here. Each edition of Eurofresh Distribution magazine features a country profile providing insights into the opportunities and trends in different world markets.